(Reuters) - Video games retailer Game Digital Plc said on Wednesday sales trends improved over the important Christmas trading period and reiterated its outlook for first-half profit.
Game's shares rose as much as 10 percent to 109.5 pence in early trading on the London Stock Exchange.
Game Digital said gross transaction value, which reflects full sales excluding taxes and other deductions, was down 0.4 percent in the three week period ended Jan. 9.
However, the fall was not as massive compared with a 6.7 percent drop in the first 21 weeks of the full-year.
Analysts at Peel Hunt estimate the three week period accounting for about 20 percent of the group's first-half profit as they left their full-year profit forecasts unchanged.
Game last month said it expected adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation to drop to about 30 million pounds ($43.3 million) for the 26 weeks ending Jan. 23.